Fediverse @lemmy.ml Evan @lemmy.ml 3 yr. ago

Someone should really revamp email

Email is already nicely federated, but I think it's time for a change. Services like protonmail claim to offer encryption between users, but you can't host your own instance. It would be awesome if there was a spec somewhere for a federated email service that defines

email encryption between users
markdown
~~connection with activity pub? (What would this look like)~~ I mean some way to "email the web", ie: add comments via email
compatibility with standard email users (if you send/receive to/from a user who does not have email v2 implemented it just uses normal features)
somehow better support for email discussion groups (hop in and out, public interface defined)
this spec should be focused heavily on usage for humans instead of automated mailing, I expect html would not be defined.

I'm just spit balling here. Does anyone have any ideas? Does something like this exist?

Thanks, Evan

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8 comments

I like email the way it is and believe it functions as most people desire.

Everything you mention already exists for email (ie discussion groups exist, encryption exists, etc...)

The key thing is that it works now and you can easily host your own mail server to achieve whatever you desire feature wise
- https://cfenollosa.com/blog/after-self-hosting-my-email-for-twenty-three-years-i-have-thrown-in-the-towel-the-oligopoly-has-won.html
  
  Has this been your experience?
  
  I've never actually self hosted my email, primarily due to not wanting to mess with the issues listed.
  
  You should try it some time, just for the learning exercise :)
  
  I won't invalidate the writers experience , I just want to add that that hasn't been my experience with properly configured environments (not saying the writers was improperly configured, it clearly wasn't).

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